2021 Health and Fitness

[Ste]

Cross trainer for the fullest body workout.

Rowing machine for a mostly full body workout but you'll want to have the technique correct.

Exercise bike for simplicity.

Other factors to consider include any health issues that could be aggravated by particular exercises and the different machines require different amounts of space. The amount of space is something you get to figure out yourself but if you've any concerns about health issues then speak with your GP before buying stuff.

The simplicity of exercise bikes isn't necessarily a bad thing as simple is good. Sure they don't burn quite as many calories as the other two do but you'd have to try quite hard to use an exercise bike incorrectly whereas the movements involved with cross trainers are unnatural and the movements involved with rowing machines are quite easy to unknowingly be doing wrongly.

I'd probably suggest an exercise bike because whilst they don't work as many muscle groups as the other two do, they provide a good cardiovascular workout which I think is what you're wanting.

What grr says is a good suggestion as you'd be able to participate in classes and groups which help with motivation. The big disadvantage is how gyms are renowned for making it a complete PITA to cancel membership.

[dave001]

[grr666]

[DaddyStu]

Make your own little gym.

My small conservatory has a cheap exercise bike and cheapish weights bench. Along with a running machine of course.... for the lady.

Need some TV to watch though because working out for the sake of working out is really f*kin boring! Coming from a mountain biking background especially.
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Daddystu
Zontes 125-G1 (part-ex'd). Yamaha Tracer 700.

[stinkwheel]

Can I point out that it appears riding trials motorcycles is a hell of a workout and quite good fun into the bargain. There doesn't seem to be a bit of you it doesn't exercise.

Also a competative trial entry fee is less than a gym membership.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Ribenapigeon]

Im thinking a cross trainer might be a good compromise between an exercise bike and a rowing machine. Looking at YouTube on rowing machines it does look like a good technique is crucial. A gym sounds like a lycra nightmare though there is a Pure gym near me.

[dave001]

[Ste]

[grr666]

I did exactly that with Puregym. I was a member of one near where Nobby used to go to work which suited me
then, but there are closer places now I've moved. For me, even closer than my nearest Puregym. Some of the bigger
chains are offering non contract monthly memberships. I'm going to give The Gym Group a try as that's just 18.99
a month and a walkable distance from my house.
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Ste]

[Nobby the Bastard]

TBH Puregym has managed to last for years just there beside a place with some of the best fitness instructers in the country in it.

Admittedly you can't just buy a membership to our gym.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[grr666]

[dave001]

[to v or not to v]

scan freecycle etc for free equipment. most home gym stuff becomes clothes hangers sooner or later.
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current bike Yamaha Thunderace.
its old and fat, but its a damned good ride. the bikes not bad either.

[Ste]

74.76 miles cycling this morning with 4,637 feet of elevation gained.

(Ben Nevis is 4,413 foot and Everest is 29,030).

[to v or not to v]

[Ribenapigeon]

[Nobby the Bastard]

About 3 degrees
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[Ribenapigeon]

0.313 Bar atop Everest. How to simulate this on an exercise bike though? Placcy bag on head ?

[Ste]

Yeah the gradient is somewhat different to that of a mountain.

https://i.imgur.com/nJbOVCx.png

Steepest climb in that is 280 ft in 0.98 miles which is 0.9645% of Everest.

[Ribenapigeon]

[Ste]

Aerodynamics are important however if it's over a long period of time where you'll be sweating litres then you would boil.

[Ribenapigeon]

[MarJay]

So here's a long rambling post:

May last year I had a crash at Cadwell Park. There was an accident at Park corner ahead of me and so I rolled off the throttle because of the carnage. Many bikes moved line abreast to get around the debris and bikes that had gone off the track, and so I had to slow. I then got struck from behind by a GSXR600 revving out in top gear. Park straight has a sharp crest, so it's possible he didn't see me until the last minute? I don't really know. The impact flipped me over and I was injured. I had a suspected broken scaphoid in my left hand, heavy bruising to my right elbow and arm, heavy bruising on my right lower back (with a fist shaped bruise) and what turned out to be worse of all, some 'soft tissue damage' to my left ankle.

if you're interested, my bike carried on up hill and fell on its side and was pretty much undamaged apart from a huge dent on the swinging arm. I bought a replacement for £40 and had it fitted for about £100. My new friend on the GSXR broke his left hand (where he punched me in the back) and his bike flipped end over end, and was essentially cubed. Funny how things go, eh?

The hand healed on it's own, as did all the bruising, with the only other effect that I can't sit on a hard chair as long as I used to without getting a pain in my back/glutes.

The ankle however... Oh my damn left ankle. It's taken about a year for me to be able to walk properly and be able to walk distance, and I've been having physio on the ankle. I had an MRI back in March this year, and apparently there is all sorts of damage going on. There were bright tree like lines emanating from my ankle joint, and I'm told that means 'inflammation'. The person discussing the imagery with me told me that this was undoubtedly permanent damage and would be unlikely to ever heal. I also have a cone shaped achilles tendon which means the strength in my ankle is compromised. I do wonder how much of this comes from a previous accident I had in 2011 where I broke my left foot (and right wrist) and how much comes from the fact I have Hereditary Multiple Exostoces which is a bone disorder that resulted in deformation of my joints.

Anyway. I've been having physio and apparently in the ankle there are two joints. There is the main ankle joint, and below that is a joint called the 'Subtalar joint' which helps with secondary movement (such as foot twisting). It turns out the damage to my ankle caused the Subtalar joint to seize. The physio has been freeing it off, at which point I then excercise the foot joint to try to get the achilles tendon back to health. With the Subtalar joint seized, then the achilles is held in place, and can't heal (at least, that's my theory anyway!)

So at the last physio appointment my physio has shown me how to use my hands to free off the Subtalar joint. I have been practicing this and there is a terriffic crunching and popping when I do it.... but I do have more movement in my ankle now, and I can try to work on my achilles and get the strength back.

I've been going to my martial arts class and so on, but the weakness in my ankle does cause me issues. I'm getting there now, through sheer stubbornness, nagging of the NHS to do something and general hard training. Through force of will I will get back to as normal as I can get it, and I refuse to believe the evaluation that it probably won't heal. It has healed, it's just taken well over a year to get as far as I've got.

One final thought. I managed to get another referral to a surgeon back in March after convincing them to MRI the ankle. My physio turned up to the appointment in lieu of the surgeon himself, and he explained what the surgeon *could* offer for my injuries.

The ONLY thing the surgeon could offer me... was.. wait for it... Putting a nail in my heel to completely lock the joint solid. F*ck that for a game of soldiers! I'm not essentially paralyzing myself just because I have a bit of weakness and some pain in my ankle. I'd rather put up with the pain than be unable to change gear on a bike. I don't know if other types of people would somehow accept this, but I thought it was bollocks. I thought that at least they could have offered me corticosteroid injections or something... something more than putting a f*cking nail in my heel.

I don't really blame the NHS. When you only have a hammer you tend to hit everything don't you? But I just felt that another treatment plan would have been better, even if I just tried something else for a bit before considering surgery. When you get famous sportspeople with this type of injury the medics come up with treatment plans that don't involve seizing a whole joint in the body.

I've maintained for ages that the NHS are great at treatment for acute maladies, but absolutely shocking at dealing with chronic problems. It seems I've been proven right in this case - Although my physio treatment has been top notch and was way better than I had when I broke my wrist and foot back in 2011

I want to be back to full fitness and I'm going to jolly well be back to full fitness even if it takes another year.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.